Psychological well-being of small enterprise employees: a multi-theoretical perspective
International Journal of Organizational Analysis
ISSN: 1934-8835
Article publication date: 30 October 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to suggest a multi-theoretical explanation using a success story to explain psychological well-being (PWB) among employees of K.C, a small enterprise found in Uganda, a developing country in Africa.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used qualitative methodology. Based on in-depth interviews with K.C employees, a story was developed describing the practical experience, focusing on the context, actions, results and lessons learnt. Regarding the sample size, the saturation point was attained on the seventh participant.
Findings
Findings reveal that employees that possess psychological capital set targets and generate avenues that allow them to achieve set goals, with personal initiative that makes them proactive to accomplish work tasks and individual adaptability that enables them to adjust their emotions and behavior to fit in a complex working environment, which makes them to think, feel and act positively. Furthermore, several theories, including broaden and build, personal initiative and complex adaptive systems theory, explain the manifestations of PWB of employees in small enterprises.
Research limitations/implications
The study was limited by focusing on the context of a small enterprise. Future research may investigate other study contexts whose findings might be different. In addition, the study being hypothetical lacked statistical testing. It would be a meaningful effort if future studies statistically tested the suggested model. Irrespective of the limitations, the findings of this study remain significant.
Practical implications
In practice, employees may replicate these findings to nurture PWB which eventually contributes to enterprises’ success. This could provide answers to the psychological challenges experienced by employees of small enterprises, especially in the African developing countries like Uganda where this is a major challenge. Specifically, the workers of K.C enterprise may depend on their PWB to deal with workplace challenges and sustain the enterprise’s performance.
Social implications
Socially, there is need to embrace positive social relationships among employees at the work place which will translate into well-being of society.
Originality/value
This paper is exceptional because it uses a success story showing practical experiences of how PWB of employees in small enterprises is nurtured in Uganda. In addition, a multi-theoretical perspective is used to explain the manifestations in the story, which is the greatest contribution of this paper. Further, a conceptual model is still proposed, depicting psychological capital, personal initiative and individual adaptability as antecedents of PWB.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge Makerere University Business School. This research is part of a PhD study sponsored by Makerere University Business School and the listed Co-authors as my supervisors. The authors would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback and the editor for ensuring the correctness and accuracy of the document.
Funding and support statement: The authors did not receive any funding from third parties for this work.
Citation
Tabala, A., Munene, J.C., Kagaari, J., Mafabi, S. and Kyogabiirwe, J. (2023), "Psychological well-being of small enterprise employees: a multi-theoretical perspective", International Journal of Organizational Analysis, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-03-2023-3673
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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